Inside a New Cool Kid Soccer-Themed Cafe In Chinatown

The two letters FC can mean a lot of things. In the coffee world it
means "full city," a term used to describe the level of a beans' roast,
usually a sweeter, more full-bodied one at that. In the world of
football -- sorry, soccer -- the letters FC bookend team names to
signify that they are a "Football Club." In Chinatown, specifically at
100 Forsyth, where the newly-opened coffee shop/boutique Football Cafe
resides, the letters mean all of these things and more.

During
last year's World Cup we did a pop-up at this location with custom
jerseys and we made the theme a sort of '70s tourist agency and people
could come and get uniquely designed jerseys and watch specific games.
After the World Cup the landlord came to us and asked if we wanted to
keep the space, so we came up with this idea of having a sport kitchen
to serve the players on the field. We noticed everyone on the field
drinking plastic bottles of gatorade and we thought we'd offer a
sustainable, healthy option. We're also keeping the original idea intact
-- soon we'll have jerseys and patches for sale designed by Diego
Moscoso.

Was the location intentional?

All of the
owners and the players in the league have lived in this neighborhood for
a long time and we've always seen the potential in the area around the
field. I like to say that I think Forsyth is going to become the next
Crosby Street.

Inside the cafe

What's the story behind the soccer team, Nowhere FC?

About 5 years ago Diego Moscoso, who was a designer at Marc Jacobs at the time, came to me about putting a soccer team in the Adidas Fanatics tournament.
That didn't really work out but we ended up taking the team over for
ourselves. Diego has a design background so we had a great opportunity
to do jerseys that would look unique on the field. The name Nowhere
comes from the fact that we're all from somewhere but also sort of from
nowhere. If you split the word apart it becomes "Now Here," so all of
our players who come from everywhere in the world are now here.

Is design a big part of the team?

We try to push the
boundaries a little bit compared to a more conventional soccer team. We
care what we look like and how we're represented, it's not just a
t-shirt with a patch on it. We want to be the opposite and create a
movement around the club.

What's your favorite soccer club?

Arsenal!

Do you watch American soccer?

I
like it, I think it's funny. Like, the lingo they use is funny -- why
call it a head shot, it's a header? I do like watching soccer in local
communities more, though. I think it shows more of the communities that
exists and brings out a good team spirit between different types of
people. It's very American, that way.

A "Presidente Parfait" with Greek yogurt, soaked chia, grapefruit, organic maple syrup all topped with a cube of raw honey